


Chaos in Auradon

by tahmid10



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 07:55:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11963055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tahmid10/pseuds/tahmid10
Summary: Between mischievous pranks, missing keys, random games of manhunt/dodgeball combined, and lots and lots of singing; Auradon will learn that deep down the VK's will always be kids from the Isle. But maybe that's not a bad thing.





	1. Caught Red-Handed

**Author's Note:**

> I have literally NO idea where I'm going with this story. '_'
> 
> I just read 'Diaries of a Broken Man' - a FF VII fanfiction - and was inspired to write something like it. I think they'd call this genre slice-of-life, right?
> 
> I'm still testing the waters with this idea, and any tips on how to structure the writing would be helpful.

 

 

 

' _The_ _ **Dragon**_ _is in position, I repeat,_ _ **Dragon**_ _is in. position. Everyone else?'_

' _That's a negative,_ _ **Puppy's**_ _having trouble with the release,_ _ **Mirror**_ _over.'_

' _I'm fine over here, trigger's just a little jammed. I'll be ready by launch-time,_ _ **Puppy**_ _over.'_

' _Copy that,_ _ **Puppy**_ _._ _ **Thief**_ _?'_

' _ **Arabian**_ _ **Thief**_ _is in position, locked and ready to go, over.'_

' _Jay, for the umpteenth time! I said one-word names! One. Word.'_

' _Just_ _ **Thief**_ _sounds so lame Evie!_ _ **Arabian**_ _ **Thief**_ _rolls of the tongue just right….Uh over.'_

' _Shhh! The targets are on their way! Everyone, get ready. We go in 5…4…3…'_

* * *

 

The Royal Gowns made their way down the streets of Auradon, their presence hard to ignore considering they were a group of seven teenagers dressed in gowns on a hot summer day.

There weren't many cliques in Auradon, and of the few that existed, almost none were as notable as the Royal Gowns.

Perhaps it was because the seven ladies were obsessed with wearing royal gowns every day of the week. Or perhaps it was because the students of Auradon Prep knew them as stuck up and snobby.

Every day, the Royal Gowns would snicker and gossip about what everyone wore behind the backs of the students. Although they whispered, it was clear what they were thinking from their gestures and glances.

But perhaps for future reference, this was exactly why so many students admitted to being responsible for what happened today. For some reason, the professors were unable to determine who was actually responsible for pelting the Royal Gowns with water balloons.

Today was a hot Sunday - nothing the people of Auradon couldn't handle - but certainly not an ideal day to be wearing regal wear.

Even when everyone else was wearing short-sleeve t-shirts and sleeveless tops, the Royal Gowns strutted the streets of Auradon in fluffy gowns and took pride in it.

However, little did the Royal Gowns know that during their weekly walks down the coast of Auradon, they would be bombarded by water balloons in the market district.

Marilyn, daughter of Anastasia and niece to Cinderella, was the first to raise suspicions once she noticed how barren the market streets were. Everyone was either shopping or stood underneath some cover, no matter how crowded it seemed.

_*SPLASH_

Marilyn was also the first to be hit by an incoming water balloon, the sound of splashing overshadowed by her screech. The rest of the Royal Gowns had no time to respond as they were assaulted right after.

After 5 minutes of non-stop bombardment, the oncome of water balloons halted and Marilyn looked around frantically through her soaked bangs for whoever was responsible.

However every adult was either frozen in shock or smiling at how ridiculous the girls looked in their soaked gowns, while practically every child and teenager was laughing at how frantic the girls were.

Marilyn looked up at the sky out of desperation and  _swore_  she saw a flash of purple in the palm trees before it vanished behind the large leaves. She screamed in frustration and stomped away from the market district, with the rest of the Royal Gowns following in suit.

* * *

 

"Mal?"

Mal was lying on her bed and looked up from her sketchbook to see Ben leaning into her dorm. Even though it was obvious a lot of people had beef with the Royal Gown, Mal had a feeling Ben would know it was her.

She just didn't expect him to come find her barely  _half an hour_  after the whole fiasco.

"Ben! I didn't know we had anything planned today," Mal commented offhandedly as she went back to her sketchbook.

She didn't trust herself to look at Ben in the eye. Ever since the two had reconciled after Cotillion, Ben made it his mission to see straight through her; to see her real emotions and feelings.

Not that this sudden increase in attention annoyed her – matter of fact, it made her all warm and fuzzy to know that someone could love her so much.

It just made it all the more harder to hide things from her boyfriend. True, there weren't many things to hide, but a girl still needed her privacy.

And so she went back to her drawings half-handedly, waiting for what Ben would do next. Ben on the other hand, settled for standing at the doorway watching her.

…

"…So do you plan on confessing, or should I just come out and accuse you four of whatever  _evil_ has struck Auradon?"

It's not like Ben was actually mad at Mal, and Mal knew it. Throughout all their time together, Ben had only gotten mad at her once, and that was when he found out at the Enchanted Lake that she had lied to him.

And even then, he had chased her to the Isle of the Lost and apologized for going all  _beastly_  on her.

" _Evil_  is taking it a little far," Mal said as she gave up and rolled her eyes. "Calling it a harmless prank would be a little more realistic. And what makes you think I needed three others to do it?"

"So you're telling me that you didn't get Jay, Carlos and Evie – the rest of the VK's – drawn into your little schemes?" Ben asked.

"Well what makes you think they'd even be interested?" Mal challenged Ben. She loved moments like these. "We're  _good_  now, unless you didn't get the memo?"

"See that's the thing," Ben said as he entered Mal's dorm and sat beside Mal, settling for playing with her hair. "  _Y_ _ou_ are far from the good person you claim to be. I know you four better than you think."

"Oh please," Mal smirked at Ben as she pulled his hand out of her hair and intertwined it with her own. "Do tell."

"Well, Jay was definitely the easiest. All you have to mention is 'trouble', and he's already in." Ben looked at Mal for confirmation and smiled when she shrugged off-handedly. So far, so good.

"Carlos was probably against it, especially since his girlfriend is Fairy Godmother's daughter. But he caves in pretty easily to you, and so you roped him into it. Shame. On. You."

Mal and Ben both laughed. Mal felt guilty at first about Carlos, but once they got into the details of the plan, it was clear Carlos was enjoying himself again.

"And Evie was  _definitely_ against it altogether, considering how the Royal Gowns are one of her most dedicated customers. But wherever you go,"

"She goes," Mal finished Ben's sentence. "And all this time I thought I was the only one you were paying so much attention to."

"Oh don't get me wrong," Ben stared into Mal's eyes, getting lost in them. "You're the one I need to watch the most."

Ben's intense gaze sent a shiver down Mal's spine, and she looked away before she herself could get lost staring at Ben.

"So, what happens now? Are you going to  _punish_ me?" Mal asked as she tossed her sketchbook to the side and settled for turning on her back to stare at Ben.

Ben froze and stared off into space. Obviously, he hadn't thought this whole scenario out very carefully. Mal let out an ungraceful snort when she saw how Ben lost looked, catching his attention in return. He smiled at Mal, suddenly arriving at an idea.

"As a matter of fact, I am." Ben declared. "In 20 minutes, we're going on a trip to the Enchanted Lake again."

Mal laughed as she got up and leaned on her elbows. "I don't know if you people in Auradon know this, but the whole point of a punishment is to teach me a lesson."

"Oh you're going to learn something, I promise you that."

"Um ok," Mal gave Ben a skeptical laugh and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And what is that supposed to meet, mister?"

"I'm going to teach you how to swim today."

Mal froze before sitting upright on her bed, the smile having vanished off her face. "What? Um, no. That's not happening. I think I'll take a raincheck this time."

Ben laughed at Mal's sudden panic attack. It wasn't often that someone could catch Mal off-guard. The daughter of Maleficent was always composed with some sassy remark on the tip of her tongue.

"You don't have a choice Mal. This is your punishment, remember?" Ben reminded her as he got off her bed.

"Well what if I just don't go?" Mal challenged Ben. The both of them knew Ben could never force her to do anything. Even on mandatory meetings with people like Aladdin and Jasmine, Ben did everything but get on his knees to convince her.

"Then I'll have Fairy Godmother triple your homework for the upcoming summer instead." Ben smiled at Mal with a hint of mischief before making his way towards Mal's dorm door.

Mal secretly loved this streak of mischief that Ben discovered on the Isle of the Lost, but right now it was  _really_  coming back to bite her. And at this moment, all she could think about was the fact that the King of Auradon had just played her, the daughter of Maleficent.

"…Wait, you wouldn't!" Mal yelled after Ben, who had already turned into the dorm hallway and vanished out of sight.

"I already told Fairy Godmother!" Ben's voice could still be heard from down the hallway, and he made no attempt to hide the smug satisfaction in his voice.

Mal groaned and flopped back onto her bed in defeat, thinking that perhaps pranking the Royal Gowns wasn't really worth this.

She either spends her whole summer writing essays on why being Good is more beneficial than being Evil, or spend a whole day splashing like a fool in front of Ben.

 

 

 

"…I need to buy a swimsuit."


	2. Up to No Good

 

“Nope. No way. I am NOT letting go, no matter what you say, Ben.”

 

Ben couldn’t help but laugh at Mal’s panic-stricken face. He just couldn’t help it, even though he knew it would demoralize Mal even further.

The swimming lessons at the Enchanted Lake had been going so well up until now, although Mal was tense with paranoia when they first got into the water.

Thankfully however, Mal was allowed to keep a hand on the stone floor for some comfort while she floated in the water.

With the water barely reaching her shoulders, Mal could even say she was enjoying herself, relishing in the feeling of cold water on her submerged legs.

“Ok, now let go.”

 And of course Ben had to go and ruin Mal’s fun.

“Mal, I’m not going to let you drown, I promise.” Ben tried to reassure Mal, but it was hard when he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“Yeah, easy enough to say when you’re the one who knows how to actually swim.” Mal said with a shaky laugh. “I think I’m ok with this.”

Seeing how Mal wouldn’t budge, Ben gave up with a shake of his head. “Ok, how about we take a break for now?”

Ben swam over to the side of the stone floor and pushed himself up. Trying to dry his hands, he bent down and gave Mal a hand.

Giving him a firm grip, Mal eyes widened and she gave an ‘eep’ as Ben nearly threw her into the air. Luckily Ben caught her in the air with a laugh and swung her around.

“Woah there, take it easy Beast Jr.” Mal laughed alongside Ben with her arms wrapped around his neck. “Don’t want to end up flinging me to Neverland.”

“Well that wouldn’t be so bad. I have a feeling that you and Tinker Bell would get along pretty well.”

Mal rolled her eyes at Ben. Grabbing a towel, Mal settled for sitting with her back against the stone pillar and wrapped the towel around herself.

“Since when did you get so strong?” Mal gave Ben an accusatory glare. “I didn’t see _any_ of that super strength when we were fighting Uma on the Isle.”

“It just kind of happened over the past week.” Ben flopped down unceremoniously across from Mal on a blanket he set down.

“Just happened?” Mal said off-handedly. “Like, you just woke up one day and found out you could fling people into the air.”

“Actually,” Ben laughed. “I woke up one day and found out I could smash my alarm clock while half-asleep.”

“And who knows, maybe I could even go around and do my own pranks once I learn how to turn into a Beast,” Ben suggested.

Mal didn’t respond to his suggestion and instead stared at Ben, deep in thought. To be honest, it unnerved Ben somewhat, almost like she was trying to delve into his mind.

“You changed a lot since your visit to the Isle.” Mal said this as a declaration, without any room for argument.

Ben just shrugged, his arms wrapped around his tucked-in knees. “Is…that bad?”

“No. No I kind of like it. A lot actually,” Mal said with a small smirk as she gave Ben a teasing stare. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a far-cry from being evil, Benny-Boo.”

“Is that a challenge, Mal Bertha?”

“A challenge?” Mal laughed. “Um, shouldn’t you be a _little_ worried about what Auradon will think when their King turns out to be evil?”

“See that’s where you’re wrong. There’s a fine line between being evil and just being mischievous.”

Mal raised her eyebrows in skepticism at Ben’s comment. “And _you’re_ going to teach _me_ about being mischievous? Really? You?”

Ben smiled at Mal’s dumbfounded expression. “All I’m saying is that, in all your time back at the Isle      maybe you forgot that there’s a difference.”

Mal looked at Ben, deep in thought.  “Seriously though, what happened on the Isle that changed you this much?”

“Evie said I needed to ‘chill’ out a little if I wanted to fit in the Isle,” Ben said with a shrug. “They had me pull some stunts here and there to get used to the feeling.”

Mall silently thanked Evie and the VK’s for their hindsight. Although they did end up letting Ben get captured, they did well to foresee how much Ben would stick out in the Isle of the Lost.

Not to mention, Mal was _seriously_ attracted to this mischievous Ben that sat in front of her. Sweet and playful Ben made her heart swoon but mischievous and sly Ben made her a little giddy with excitement.

“And what, you just decided to keep the naughty-streak?”

“I don’t know,” Ben said. “I liked the adrenaline rush that came with pulling pranks, as long as they were harmless. It was like…it was easier to breathe or something.”

“Well don’t get ahead of yourself buster,” Mal scolded Ben. “The last thing I need to hear is people calling me a bad influence.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t plan on actually pulling pranks here in Auradon.” Ben thought about it for a second. “Well at least nothing that isn’t harmless.”

Mal raised her eyebrows in surprise at Ben’s suggestion, almost laughing at how sly Ben looked at the moment. Ben smiled when he heard Mal laugh, and stood up, lending Mal a hand.

“Why don’t we start walking towards the cottage? Maybe get some clothes on first before the breeze starts to really roll in,” Ben suggested as he pulled Mal towards the dirt road.

“First?” Mal asked. “Why, are we doing something after my _punishment_?”

At Ben’s lack of response, Mal got skeptical. With the conversation they just had, she had a foreboding feeling that Ben was feeling the need for some trouble.

“…What are you up to?” Mal asked Ben slowly. When Ben chuckled in response, Mal’s suspicions were set in stone. Ben turned around and gave Mal one of his heart-winning smiles.

“I guess I’m up to no good.”


	3. It's not 'Stealing'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I figured it's time we give Carlos and Jay a little limelight. Everyone knows about Mal's and Evie's sisterly love, so it's time I give Carlos' and Jay's relationship some attention. Although I'm not really sure how they act around one another except for this scuffles, so I kind of improvised a little bit. I hope you all still enjoy it though.
> 
> \- Catcher of Fantasies

 

 

Carlos almost dropped his laptop when he saw it.

He was making his way to a particular patch of land near the coast of Auradon. The small hill offered the perfect amount of shade alongside a nice, gentle breeze and a beautiful view of the water.

On his way to his secret spot, Carlos noticed Jay further down the streets of Auradon. Although his immediate reaction was to call out to his fellow VK, alarm bells were ringing in his heads. The inner-villain in him was quick to spot out the discreet signs of suspicions that Jay was showing.

Jay wasn't doing much, to be honest. With his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face, it didn't seem like Jay was up to anything. But Carlos knew better than that; anyone from the Isle would.

To start off, Jay's smile was almost picture-perfect. Pair that along with his sudden interest in physical contact with whoever he greeted, (and he was greeting a LOT of people), Jay seemed like the personification of amiability.

But that's not what threw Carlos off, it's what was missing. Jay wasn't walking with any  _swagger_ , and that meant one thing: he was plotting something.

Now if this were the Isle of the Lost, Carlos would've immediately assumed that Jay was looking to pickpocket someone. But remembering who they were now, he thought otherwise.

"Nah, he wouldn't do that," Carlos said to himself as he eyed his friend suspiciously.

_*Meanwhile citizens are watching Carlos – who halted abruptly and had been standing still for almost a minute now – skeptically._

Jay was leaning over the counter-top of a small booth, speaking to the owner/vendor. And from the looks of it, the vendor didn't seem so nice.

And then Carlos saw it.

The vendor shooed Jay away with a wave before turning his back to him. At that moment, Jay's left hand slipped over the counter-top and instantly retreated back into his pockets, something shiny in-hand.

Carlos didn't think about it for a second.

Readjusting his grip on his laptop, Carlos made a beeline straight for Jay. Arriving at the booth, he drew Jay's attention by grabbing hold of his arm.

"Jay! How's it going buddy," Carlo said with an exaggerated smile. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Carlos didn't give Jay a chance to respond, pulling him away from the booth before the vendor could notice something was missing. The two stopped underneath a tree where nobody could see them.

"What are you  _doing_?" Carlos whispered aggressively once they were a safe distance. "What did you take?!"

"Relax pal!" Jay said, putting up his hands defensively.

"Relax?! Jay, we're not evil anymore! We don't do evil deeds anymore. And we  _definitely_ don't steal!"

"Hey, hey!" Jay put his hands up in self-defense, trying to calm Carlos down. "I haven't stolen anything dude!"

Carlos just stared at Jay as if he was out of his mind. Reaching into Jay's jacket, Carlos' eyes widened in disbelief as his hand came back out empty-handed.

"What?  _What_?How, I-I just saw you – your hand – shiny object – pocket," Carlos stammered.

"See that's just it. I figured somethin' out," said Jay as he ushered Carlos to come closer. "It's not stealing…if I put it back."

 

…

 

Jay pointed back at the booth in suspense, awaiting Carlos' reaction. "Eh? Pretty clever huh?"

"…I-I don't get it. At all," Carlos said with a stoic face as he shook his head. " _How_ is this fun?"

"Well that's what happens when you interrupt me!" Jay explained. "You're not supposed to put it back until they start scrambling around looking for it!"

In the back of Carlos' mind, he could understand how it seemed fun. Watching people panic over an item whose location only you knew; that  _did_  sound amusing. But still.

"Jay, that's bad! If everyone thinks we're still evil after all this time, they're not gonna trust us."

"Aha! See that's where you're wrong pal. I'm not being evil," Jay said. "I'm being  _mischievous_."

Carlos' jaw nearly dropped at Jay's reasoning. At this point, he felt like maybe Jay was starting to seriously lose it.

" _That's not how it works!_ " Carlos silently shrieked at Jay. "You're literally doing a bad deed!"

"Yeah, but it's not  _evil_. It's only evil if I do it maliciously or with bad intentions. It's just a harmless prank if I put it back," Jay reasoned.

"Oh, so as long as you put it back, it's ok to mess around with people?" Carlos asked sarcastically. "What's everyone gonna say when they find out?"

"Who cares what they think," Jay said with a nonchalant shrug. "We've already proven ourselves during the Cotillionand Ben's coronation. People like us now."

" _Ben_! What's Ben gonna think when he finds out? He's been trying so hard to get everything to this point."

Jay's smile widened even further at Ben's name. "Get this.  _Ben_  came up with the idea."

 

…

 

"Ben, as in King of Auradon? Mal's boyfriend, the goody-two shoe epitome of perfection? …Why?" Carlos asked.

"I know right?" Jay laughed at Carlos' dumbfounded expression.

"Ever since he and Mal talked it out, he's been trying to find ways for us to stick to our roots. And I, for one, am NOT complaining."

Carlos blinked in surprise and thought about it for a second. Ben was already a great King, and he basically knew the politics of Auradon like the back of his hand. If he said it was ok, it should be ok, right?

"…So Ben's ok with you pranking people around Auradon?"

"Hey, he's the one who said I'm just being mischievous, not evil." Jay shrugged.

Carlos still wasn't convinced, and he chewed on his lips in contemplation. He didn't necessarily want to cause trouble, but he couldn't deny it; messing with the Royal Gowns the other day was  _so_  fun.

"He mentioned something about Auradonians needing a little bit of mischief in their lives," Jay mentioned. "And who better to teach them than us right? That is, as long as we don't take it too far."

Carlos thought about it some more. If Ben said it was ok, then they might as well enjoy themselves. But stealing wasn't really his forte, or anybody else's besides Jay for that matter.

"…You think we could work something out with slingshots?" Carlos asked Jay.

Jay smiled at the thought and slung his arm around Carlos' shoulder. "We'll figure something out, pal. That's what we VK's are good at after all."

Carlos smiled alongside Jay and the two walked back to their dorms to brainstorm.

"Oh, but there is one thing that I'm  _probably_ gonna hold onto for a little while," Jay mentioned as he stopped in his tracks.

Carlos turned to look at Jay, who had shoved his left hand into the inside of his jacket. Several seconds later, his hand came back out with a very familiar journal in hand.

Carlos squinted his eyes at the book, trying to remember where he saw it.

"…Is that-"

"Chad's diary," Jay said with a smile. Carlos smiled too and laughed at Jay's mischievous look.

"Nice dude," Carlos said as he gave Jay a fist bump. The two then started walking again, before Carlos realized something.

"Hey, by the way. I know you said it doesn't matter what people think, but what're you gonna do once Lonnie's parents find out? I mean, this is  _Mulan_  we're talking about. She's too intense for even Mal."

Jay froze again, this time in shock. His jaw slacked and he stared off into the distance. Carlos stared at Jay, the urge to laugh bubbling in his chest. Clearly the Arabian Thief didn't think this far into his mischief.

"…Oh boy."


	4. Fairy Godmother on the Case!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this idea in my head for a while, but was really struggling to get it on paper. And I swear, once I get on Youtube, I'm there the whole day.
> 
> With that aside, I couldn't stop thinking about Fairy Godmother and Ben. How does she refer to Ben now? Does she call him King Ben, or just Ben?
> 
> It's been a while since I've written and 3 months since I've watched both movies, so I'm sorry if Fairy Godmother's characterization is off.

 

 

She heard the ruckus before she saw it. Fairy Godmother had been signing summer travel forms for the students until she heard the distinct sound of complaint outside her office in Auradon Prep. Taking a quick look at her schedule, Fairy Godmother frowned. She wasn't supposed to be expecting any visitors at this time of the day.

She rose from her seat and walked over to the double-door entrance. Upon pulling them open, the first thing she saw was her secretary Charlotte arguing with Lady Chia, no doubt about seeing her without an appointment.

Fairy Godmother let out a silent sigh. Lady Chia had always been somewhat of a thorn in her side ever since her daughter enrolled in Auradon Prep. Except for Lonnie, who was acting as an ambassador, not many parents sent their children from China due to how far it was.

But not Lady Chia, no her daughter Xia had to have the  _best_ education the world could offer.

Fairy Godmother's head was starting to ring, and she had only been listening to Chia's rants for about 30 seconds. Fearing for her sanity, she decided to step in.

"Lady Chia! What a surprise to see you all the way here in Auradon! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Fairy Godmother asked, mindful to be respectful. Although Lady Chia could be a handful at times, she was still a part of China's Royal Court.

Lady Chia, on the other hand, had no qualms about letting her disdain be known. With a face that was red from both anger and shouting, she directed her attention to Fairy Godmother.

"Fairy Godmother, I assume you've already heard about what happened to my daughter and her friends?"

Fairy Godmother paused for a second, scrambling for some recollection of anyone messing with the Royal Gowns. Although she'd heard of the reputation they'd built, she doubted anyone would cause trouble with them. She  _hope_  no one would, because it would conclude with a headache on her part.

"I'm afraid I've been quite busy with the student travel request. After all, summer vacation  _is_ right around the corner," said Fairy Godmother as she pointed towards her desk. Lady Chia made no move to follow her gaze, instead choosing to place all her attention on Fairy Godmother.

"The poor girls were  _assaulted_  out in the market district! Now Xia's dress is completely ruined because someone thought it'd be funny to launch water balloons at her out in the open! It's going to take weeks to re-apply the dye!"

Fairy Godmother took note of how quickly Chia's concern went from the Royal Gowns to strictly her daughter, but made no move to comment on it.

"I'm very sorry to hear that Lady Chia, but perhaps this is something you should bring to Auradon's law enforcement rather than Auradon Prep."

"Oh I assure you I would have if I didn't already know who the culprits were!" Lady Chia exclaimed.

Before Fairy Godmother was conscious of it, Mal's face blew up in her mind sporting a sly grin that said she was plotting something.

"...And how do you know who the culprits are exactly, Lady Chia?" Fairy Godmother asked slowly. If it really was a student to blame, then she had no choice but to find out.

"Well who else but Maleficent Mal Bertha and the Villain Kids? Xia saw the group herself!"

"That's not true!" Charlotte, Fairy Godmother's secretary jumped in and denied Lady Chia's claim. Before Fairy Godmother could chide the young lady on her manners in front of foreign royalty, Charlotte went on.

"Xia said she saw a flash of purple in the trees and  _assumed_ it was Mal! Nobody else saw it though, and certainly none of us saw Mal! You can't just blame it on them with that kind of evidence!"

Hearing that, Fairy Godmother exhaled, not even realizing she had been holding her breath. "Is this true Lady Chia? Did Xia actually see Mal and her friends at the scene?"

Lady Chia seemed off put by Charlotte's denial and Fairy Godmother's question. "Well who else would it be? Mal is the only student in Auradon who dresses in all purple, and what with their background, it makes complete sense!"

Fairy Godmother had a feeling that it actually was Mal and the VK's. People don't change that quickly, and just because they were no longer evil doesn't mean they wouldn't enjoy a good prank here and there.

Nevertheless, she played the role of ignorant headmistress for their sake, alongside Ben's as well. Still, she did feel sympathetic for the fate that befell Xia and her friends.

"Well I'm afraid unless you and Xia come up with some hard evidence, I cannot accuse Mal or her friends of doing anything. I'm truly very sorry Lady Chia," Fairy Godmother said with utmost sincerity.

Apparently, just being genuine in her apologies wasn't enough to tame Lay Chia, whose face was turning a darker shade of red every second. But a moment later, Lady Chia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'll have you know, Fairy Godmother, that not everyone is as gullible as to believe those children have turned over a new leaf. Children who've spent their whole lives on the Isle can't possibly reform so easily."

And with that, Lady Chia turned her back to the two and walked down the halls. Fairy Godmother watched Lady Chia as she walked down the hall and turned the corner. With that taken care of, she turned around and looked Charlotte dead in the eye.

"Now I wonder who would be mischievous enough to play pranks on the Royal Gowns.  _Especially_  since everyone at Auradon Prep knows about dear Xia's heritage," Fairy Godmother said knowingly as she stared at Charlotte with a poker face.

Charlotte just shrugged in response, not trusting herself to speak. Seeing the look in Fairy Godmother's eyes, it seemed like she had a good idea of who was responsible. But Charlotte wasn't going to be the one to confirm her suspicions.

The last thing she needed was for Fairy Godmother to know she was the one who told Mal about the Royal Gown's routinely walks.

Seeing how Charlotte refused to say anything, Fairy Godmother gave up and decided to go to the source of her suspicions.

"Well now, let's see if I can't get to the bottom of this by the end of the day…Unless you have something you'd like to say?" Fairy Godmother asked as Charlotte gestured to halt her.

With Fairy Godmother's gaze back on her, Charlotte shut her mouth and shook her head vehemently. And with that, Fairy Godmother walked down the hall with a single destination in mind.

 

* * *

 

Having arrived at the dorms of Auradon Prep, Fairy Godmother gave the door 3 rapid knocks. Almost instantly, the door swung open and Evie's enthusiastic face appeared. Except her enthusiasm practically vanished once she saw who was at her door.

"Fairy Godmother," Evie said quickly, still caught off-guard.

Noticing Evie's stiff composure, Fairy Godmother's skepticism went through the roof. "Were you expecting somebody else?"

Evie took a moment to respond. Her mind was running on overdrive, piecing everything together. Based on the recent events, there could only be one reason why Fairy Godmother would be here.

From what Evie recalled learning, the students of Auradon Prep weren't prone to pranks from one another, which meant everyone could be a suspect. So how did Fairy Godmother know to come here so quickly, literally a day after the incident?

Almost instantly, Evie reminded herself that they  _were_  the VK's. For a second she was slightly offended that Fairy Godmother, of all people, still didn't trust them.

But then she recalled the sly grin Mal had been sporting for the past week of planning. That, mixed with Mal's and Jay's track record in Auradon, made it a lot more reasonable to suspect Mal. And of course when it came to Mal, it made sense to assume the rest of the VK's were roped in.

Evie realized that she had been awkwardly staring at Fairy Godmother for quite some time and smiled, gesturing her to come in.

"I was actually expecting Mal to come back soon," Evie said as she sat back down in front of her sewing machine.

Fairy Godmother sat down on Mal's bed and perked at the teenager's name. "And where is she at the moment?"

"She's down at the Enchanted Lake with King Ben," Evie said with a laugh as she continued sewing. Seeing Fairy Godmother's questioning gaze, Evie elaborated.

"Ben plans on teaching her how to swim today. I get the feeling that it's not going to be as easy as he expects it to."

Fairy Godmother made an 'ah' gesture, understanding Evie's amusement. Now it made sense why King Ben had made that strange request to add to Mal's summer homework. Most likely the King was expecting his girlfriend to fight back.

"The poor boy is in for quite the fight, isn't he?"

Evie paused her work and thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I don't think so. I think Mal's been interested in swimming for a while now."

Fairy Godmother seemed skeptical, and considering who they were speaking about, it was understandable.

"The child won't even go near the swimming pool in P.E. if I understand correctly, poor Jane has been very persistent, but to no avail," Fairy Godmother remarked in disbelief.

"Well she won't admit it, but she's always wondering what it's like to  _actually_ swim…And because she wants to fit in of course!" Evie added, recognizing an opportunity to sway Fairy Godmother's suspicions. Seeing how her eyes perked up, Evie knew Fairy Godmother had been baited, and mentally gave herself a pat on the back.

"Mal wants nothing more than to fit in with everyone else here in Auradon, especially after Cotillion," Evie said with a dramatic flair and excessive emotion. She was going slightly overboard on the enthusiasm, but Fairy Godmother didn't notice. She was completely hooked.

"At this point, Mal – and this goes for the rest of us – just wants everyone to like her. And learning how to swim would just make her one step closer to being like everyone else. After all, the last thing we'd want is to give anyone a reason not to trust us."

Evie made sure to add the last part and took note of Fairy Godmother, who was overcome with emotion.

At this point, Fairy Godmother had completely forgotten about her initial purpose in coming to Evie and Mal's dorm. She was completely overwhelmed with emotion at Evie's sincerity and admiration for Mal's attempt at getting closer with her fellow pupils. Mal had always been quite the handful in school, being stubborn about her homework and community service. Fairy Godmother didn't know Mal was trying to hard to get everyone to like her.

"But enough about us, what can I help you with?" Evie asked with an innocent smile as she resumed her sewing.

And just like that, Fairy Godmother's world came crashing down. She finally remembered that she came here to question the two girls on their involvement in the water balloon incident. But the more she thought about it, the less logical it sounded.

If Mal was willing to going this far just to get closer with the students of Auradon, then why would she jeopardize that by antagonizing the Royal Gowns? And by no means would Evie or Carlos ever want to start such a thing.

And Jay? No, Jay was more into pickpocketing and sneaking around.

Good god, Fairy Godmother felt horrible for suspecting the them. Mal was trying so hard to get on everyone's good side, and here she was, Fairy Godmother of all people, suspecting them of foul play.

"Oh never mind child. It seems I've completely forgotten why I came here," Fairy Godmother said with a smile. After complimented Evie's most recent gown, Fairy Godmother excused herself and walked out of the dorm.

As soon as Fairy Godmother walked out the door, Evie let out the breath she was holding in and mentally whooped at her success. She played her part perfectly, so well that even Mal would be impressed.

Evie really did feel guilty about tricking Fairy Godmother, who only wanted the best for them. But in all honesty, they really  _were_  trying to get everyone to like them. They just went about it their own ways.

One of those ways just happened to be playing a prank on a group that was the focus of  _everyone's_ disfavor. Now that she thought about it, Evie wondered if Fairy Godmother was still going to try and find the perpetrators.

But after recalling how emotional Fairy Godmother seemed, she shook off the thought. Most likely Fairy Godmother was going to look elsewhere and Evie doubted anyone was going to rat them out.

 

* * *

 

At the sound of a knock outside his office, Ben looked up from his desk. "You can come in."

At the sight of Fairy Godmother, Ben smiled and stood up out of respect. He may be King, but Fairy Godmother had been teaching him etiquettes and morals since the moment he could stand.

"Before you saying anything about the Royal Gowns, I want you to know I'm taking care of it."

Fairy Godmother paused in her tracks, caught off-guard by Ben's comment. For some reason, she'd assumed Ben wasn't aware of the incident. "How so?"

"I'm forcing Mal to learn how to swim. It's not really a punishment, but she certainly isn't too happy. As for the other VK's, I'll figure something out," Ben answered in satisfaction. Seeing Fairy Godmother's stunned look, Ben faltered.

"That look means one of two things. Either you're shocked by how I'm dealing with this, or…or you didn't know it was Mal," Ben said slowly. It seems like he may have dug Mal's grave for the summer.

"I should've known better," Fairy Godmother said with a sigh as she closed her eyes and massaged her temple.

"They're just having fun Fairy Godmother," Ben reasoned quickly. "It's their way of transitioning to the new lifestyle-"

"At the expense of others. Namely, the Royal Gowns," Fairy Godmother added. Ben just shrugged in response with half a smile.

"It was practically 90 degrees yesterday and Doug said that half of them looked like they were going to collapse from dehydration! Mal and the others did them a favor of cooling them down."

Fairy Godmother gave Ben a knowing look, telling him he was doing it again. Every time Mal had slipped up in the past, Ben was quick to justify her actions and mishaps. Needless to say, nothing has changed.

"You are now the King of Auradon. You cannot get them past this one,  _King_  Ben. Lady Chia is searching for the perpetrator."

That seemed to stop Ben in his tracks. "Lady Chia is here, all the way from China? How come no one told me?"

"Well considering Xia's expensive new dress is now ruined, it seems like Lady Chia has things of more importance on her mind," Fairy Godmother reminded Ben. He thought about it for a moment, sitting in silence as he contemplated what to do.

"We'll tell her that we found the person responsible and are dealing with it accordingly," Ben said with an air of finality. "And if Lady Chia still wants to get involved, then she'd be interfering with private affairs, which goes beyond her jurisdiction."

"Benjamin Florian!" Fairy Godmother exclaimed. "Are you really going to cover this up, young man?"

"Fairy Godmother, Mal and the others didn't bear any ill will! They're just having fun, and besides the Royal Gowns need to loosen up a little. It was 90 degrees!  _90_!"

Fairy Godmother stared at Ben, deep in thought. True, Ben wasn't necessarily lying to Lady Chia, but he was beating around the bush. Covering up pranks, hiding the truth and acting all sneaky; this all seemed very unbecoming of the Ben she raised in Auradon Prep.

As if reading her mind, Ben relaxed and dropped into his chair.

"I'm fine Fairy Godmother. I just feel like everyone in Auradon is becoming so…stuck up and stiff," Ben said as he struggled to look for the word. "Since when did playing a fun and harmless prank on one other become a crime? Not everything is so black and white when it comes to splitting bad from good."

Fairy Godmother sighed at Ben's arguement. She didn't deny that the people of Auradon had become somewhat narrow-minded over time. She'd seen people – old and young – treat things as simple as mispronunciation as a huge crime and offense to their family.

Not that they'd penalize anybody of course, but it went to show how misguided the people of Auradon had become. The only reason it hadn't been reformed is because unraveling the changes wasn't as simple as explaining to people that small mischief doesn't make a person an evildoer.

"Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos? They're starting to learn the difference between being evil and good,  _and_ they still have their mischievous streak from the Isle. They're bringing back a sense of fun that we've lost over time. This might be the best way to have everyone loosen up."

Fairy Godmother was still somewhat skeptical on Ben's idea. "And exactly how will the four of them playing pranks on people do that?"

Ben was quiet for several seconds, but perked up the moment an idea struck him. "By getting the people of Auradon involved. And that's exactly how we'll fix this problem with the Royal Gowns."

Fairy Godmother's jaw nearly dropped open. "Benjamin!"

"Think about it!" Ben said in excitement. "If the Royal Gowns get payback on Mal and the others, then they'll be happy. And you and I both know that Mal and the VK's would love a challenge."

"Benjamin Florian, do you mean to spark chaos in Auradon?" Fairy Godmother was on the edge of her seat. "The mess that would come about could be a nightmare!"

"See, you need to loosen up too Fairy Godmother!" Ben said with a laugh. Even though Fairy Godmother's blood pressure was going through the roof, Ben seemed to be having the time of his life.

"Everyone doesn't need to be going around pranking one another. Just trust me on this one, please. Let me show you how capable I can be as King," Ben urged Fairy Godmother to trust him, putting her in a dilemma.

Fairy Godmother never knew Ben to ever give up on one of his crazy ideas. The fact that four kids from the Isle of the Lost inhabited Auradon was proof of that. Even if she refuted Ben's proposal, she was well aware he'd find one way or another to get it done.

"Just…please," Fairy Godmother said as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Please just…speak to you father about this. See what he says on the matter."

Ben smiled and nodded his head before powerwalking out of his office, completely ignoring whatever errand he was working on before their conversation. Fairy Godmother watched him leave and lay back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling in defeat.

Ben was certainly a fine young man and he'd become a fine King, if he wasn't one already. But the boy was too optimistic, believing in the bright side of everything. Perhaps former King Adam could reason with the young boy and calm him down.

 

* * *

 

Back in her office at Auradon Prep, Fairy Godmother was signing papers before pausing at the sound of…what is that sound?

_Squelch….Squelch…Squelch_

Looking up, Fairy Godmother looked up and saw Ben standing in front of her  _completely soaked_ from head to toe. Water was dripped from his hair and sleeves, forming a puddle of water where he stood.

Fairy Godmother was speechless and merely looked the boy up and down. Looking at his shoes, Fairy Godmother assumed that the sound she heard came from Ben's footsteps.

Ben on the other hand, had a huge – and dare she say playful – smile on his face. Sticking his arms out, he looked at himself from left to right before looking back at Fairy Godmother.

"Dad seems pretty enthusiastic about my idea."

 

 

"….Oh dear."


	5. Ambushed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. These ideas are in my head, but it's hard to fill the pages when it comes to actually writing the text. I do enjoy writing these however, and I've been thinking about maybe trying to be an author one day once I start taking some classes in the future.
> 
> Any grammatical errors pointed out or advise on how to make the text flow more naturally would be greatfully accepted.

Evie stared at her phone for the fifth time in the last 10 minutes. She and Mal had been texting one another for awhile now, but Mal stopped responding.

Chalking it up to Mal being occupied, Evie had put her phone down and left the matter alone. Yet here she was 10 minutes later, checking her phone again to see if Mal responded.

At the sound of her door opening, Evie looked up from her phone and saw – and speak of the devil – Mal enter their dorm.

Evie's first reaction was to laugh, as she took in the sight of Mal in all her glory: completely soaked down to the boots with her hair sticking to her face.

Try as she may, Evie failed to hold it in as she let a snort out. Then after hearing Mal's boots squish, she completely lost it.

"Did – _snort_ – did you decide to go for another dip?" Evie asked jokingly in between laughs. Mal gave her a sarcastic smile before pushing her hair to the side and walking to her closet, grumbling all the way there.

"Seriously though, what happened to you?" Evie yelled to Mal's closet once she got herself under control.

"Apparently, it's pretty funny to give me a taste of my own medicine," Mal said as she came out of her closet in camouflage cargos to go with yet another purple top.

"You mean to tell me somebody pulled one over _Maleficent Mal_?" Evie asked with a disbelieving smile. "Girl, you are losing your touch."

"This is _Auradon_ , the land of goody-two shoes princes and princesses! How was I supposed to expect somebody would have it in them?" Mal said as she threw her hands up.

"And it wasn't just somebody. Get this," Mal said as she sat on her bed and leaned in for suspense. "Royal. Gowns."

Evie's jaw dropped. "You're joki – no you're not joking. The Royal Gowns? They got even with _you_?"

"OH. It doesn't even end there," Mal said with a sarcastic laugh to compliment her excessive enthusiasm. "I could've sworn I saw Benny-boo hiding behind one of the stands during the whole fiasco."

"Oh come on Mal," Evie said as she blew off Mal's insinuation. "Ben's too much of a gentleman to be pulling pranks on you."

"That's not true, not anymore," Mal rejected as she pointed a finger at Evie, drawing her attention. "He's changed since you guys brought him to the Isles of the Lost."

Now _this_ caught Evie's attention. Nobody really knew that the VK's snuck Ben to the Isles for Mal, whose absence was also unknown to the public. If people were to notice Ben acting differently, it would eventually raise suspicions.

The Isle certainly had the ability to taint even the purest of souls if left unchecked, but of course Ben was special. If anything, Ben was _too_ good of a human being, so much that he risked blowing their cover during time on the Isles.

Thinking back to their short trip back home, Evie remembered trying to teach Ben how to fit in with the kids on the Isles. Recalling their short demonstration of 'Chillin' Like a Villain', Evie almost palmed her face. Perhaps Ben got the message too well, and took it to heart.

"Seriously! He has this feisty attitude and doesn't even think twice about responding with some witty comment. Not to mention he literally blackmailed me into swimming – and yes, he _did_ tell Fairy Godmother to double my summer homework if I didn't go with him. Abuse of power much?" Mal threw her hands up in frustration.

"…Um…is that…really bad though?" Evie slowly asked Mal. The Mal she grew up with was the kind of girl who liked bad boys. Although she clearly matured, she never lost that attraction, even liking the chauffeur who'd been so rude to them on their first trip to Auradon.

"…No actually, I kind of like it." Mal's voice toned down dramatically and her hands fell to the bed in what seemed like shock, almost as if she just had just realized this herself.

"…So we're good then?" Evie asked with two thumbs-up. Mal shrugged and nodded in response before shaking her head.

"That's not the point!" Mal said as she brought them back to the main discussion at hand. "The point is, the Royal Gowns are too snobby to even think of this. Xia would've just complained to her mother about it."

Evie pondered on Mal's remark. Would Ben really pull one over Mal? For a moment, Evie denied it, thinking Ben was too proper a gentleman to be messing around like that.

But then again, she doubted that the Royal Gowns could think of getting back at Mal all by themselves. That left only three people on Auradon who would dare prank Mal: Carlos, Jay and Ben.

As far as Evie knew, Jay had practice with the Swords and Shield team. And Carlos wasn't really the kind of person to start trouble, even on the Isle. Although he was certainly mischievous, he was more like the kind of person who'd tag along happily.

Evie was brought out of her trance when her phone started ringing. Lifting her phone, she saw Carlos' name on the front screen, and picked up the call. Before she could even greet him, Carlos was already talking.

\- _"What did you guys do?"_

Evie sat there for a moment and blinked, trying to process what he just said. "Um, excuse me?"

\- _"I've been getting these weird stares from everybody in the dormitory, and I can't think of any other reason for it except you guys having done something. And Jay is at practice, which only leaves you and Mal."_

"Who is it?" Mal asked from her bed. But Evie didn't respond, her mind working on overdrive. It wasn't long before she put two and two together.

"Carlos, you might want to get indoors as soon as you can," Evie advised Carlos. Considering Mal's situation, Evie could only assume someone was planning to prank Carlos too. It seemed like the VK's had a huge target on their back.

Mal's eyes widened as she realized who was on the phone and she grabbed Evie's arm to get her attention.

"Here, tell him to come here," Mal told Evie, who nodded her head in agreement.

Leaving them to talk it out, Mal rose from her bed and went to close the curtains. It seemed pretty ridiculous to think someone was watching them, considering they were on the third floor. But Mal had already been caught off guard once today, it was NOT happening again.

"Carlos is on his way right now." Evie said as she ended the call.

"So," Mal sighed as she flopped back onto her bed. "What do we do exactly?"

Evie bit her lip slightly in hesitation. She could tell Mal wanted to get payback, it was practically written all over her face. But Evie was still hesitant, feeling as if they were still jumping to conclusions about Ben.

"You do realize how bad it'll look if you're wrong, right?" Evie asked Mal.

Not that Ben would be upset, of course. When it came to Mal, the mistakes she made had him head over heels more often than not. It was adorable in Evie's opinion, but the public likely feel the same way.

"Then ask Doug to check it out. He's pretty close with Ben after all," Mal countered as she grabbed Maleficent's tiny cell and opened it to find her mother, in her lizard form.

Evie stiffened slightly. Even when she was stuck in the form of a tiny, harmless lizard, the presence of Maleficent unnerved her.

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours Mal, but how about we _not_ get your mom involved?"

Mal shrugged as she looked down at her mother tenderly, rubbing her spine gently.

"Just, thinking about all this: throwing water balloons, starting pranks, getting payback. It reminded me of what we used to do on the Isle; of who I was probably going to be if we hadn't come to Auradon."

Evie chose not to respond, seeing how Mal was deep in thought and was having a moment. Sometimes, she felt envious that Mal could be with her mother even if it were under odd circumstances. But if reuniting with her mother meant having to lose what she had here in Auradon, she could bear with the separation.

"I'll show you mom," Mal said as she closed Maleficent's tiny cell and placed her back on the dresser table. "I can still be a bad girl."

Evie and Mal heard their door open and close once more and looked over, expecting to see Carlos enter. But to their surprise and amusement, what they saw was Jay doused in eggs and yolk.

Yolk was dripping from his hair and starting to seep into his uniform, while the egg white completely covered his face.

 

"Anyone know why Lonnie just bombarded me with like, 4 dozens of eggs?"


End file.
